Review of new Boswells cafe in Festival Place, Basingstoke

After hours of slaving away in the office, bringing you the cold, hard news that Basingstoke has to offer, reporter Lola Crossman and I took advantage of what some may refer to as a "slow news day" and made our way down to Boswells, to take one for the team, sample their menu and find an answer to this important question.

We visited in the afternoon on Tuesday, October 29, and were both pleasantly surprised by the welcoming atmosphere - I felt like a celebrity after being greeted by at least three different members of staff.

It didn't take us long to decide what we wanted, I opted for a classic all-day breakfast with a jaffa cake milkshake from the autumn menu, while Lola went for a tomato, mozzarella and pesto panini with a pumpkin spice frappe.

READ MORE: New family-run cafe opening in Festival Place in empty Patisserie Valerie unit

Boswells all day breakfast (Image: Newsquest)

My breaky cost £9.95 and was incredibly filling - it consisted of two sausages, two fried eggs, two slices of bacon, some baked beans and chips - I demolished it all and took no prisoners.

I found the egg and chips to be superb, the former had a lovely runny yolk while the latter were particularly crispy and simultaneously fluffy, just look at them, they are gorgeous and they taste just as good as they look.

After dousing my meal with ketchup, I took a bite of the sausage and to be honest, it was a little on the chewy side, however, this did not detract from the flavour which made up for it.

The bacon, on the other hand, I was disappointed by. It could've been a fluke or a one-off occurrence, but there wasn't a whole lot of flavour to slices on my plate.

SEE MORE: PHOTOS: New cafe opens at former Patisserie Valerie unit in Festival Place

Our beverages (Image: Newsquest)

There's only so much you can say about beans, they were exactly as you'd expect them to be - you can't go wrong with them.

Now, I know I will have piqued a few interests when I mentioned the jaffa cake milkshake, and I can confirm it was delicious.

Made from fresh ice cream blended with four whole jaffa cakes, the final product resulted in a rather zesty flavour, you can certainly taste the orange of the jaffa, but not so much the chocolate.

The downside to it? Well, it cost me £4.75 plus an extra 60p for the squirty cream on top, which does seem a little steep considering the glass isn't exactly large. However, you probably won't find a freshly made drink much for much cheaper elsewhere these days and I did enjoy it and will absolutely claim it back on expenses, so who am I to complain?

Lola's panini (Image: Newsquest)

Lola shared her thoughts on her meal, which cost £6.25, and she found herself a little underwhelmed.

She said: "You get more tomato in the side salad than in the panini, in a panini, the ingredients, especially the bread, are important and the bread was unfortunately subpar.

"The panini, although filling, was fairly flavourless for £6 and I would expect more tomato and pesto for the price you're paying. The side salad could be improved with some fresh salad such as cucumbers."

However, she was certainly a fan of her pumpkin spice frappe, which cost £4.75 plus an extra 60p for squirty cream.

She said: "The drink was nice, had a very seasonal taste of cinnamon and nutmeg, which was not overpowering. The portion seemed fair and the cream was of a high quality. Blended and made fresh, and definitely the highlight of the lunch."

There was a really good buzz in the cafe and I noticed the clientele were more of the older generation, which was really great to see.

This cafe seems to be a new favourite for our golden oldies to meet up and socialise and after visiting and experiencing the friendly staff and speedy service, I can see why.

I feel with Boswells, you do get what you pay for - fair-sized portions, a friendly atmosphere, and speedy service - and while the ingredients could be better (particularly on the bacon front) it is still pretty decent. As I said before, the staff are very friendly and welcoming, and I can see why the chain prides itself on the "home-from-home" vibe, if you fancy a bite to eat and a natter with your pals, this is the place to be.